Equipment: MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a Maskless Photolithography Instrument for Undergraduate Research and Teaching at High Point University

这一重大研究仪器(MRI)奖是为了表彰高点大学(HPU)化学、物理和工程系的教职员工和本科生研究人员与里士满大学(VA)化学系、詹姆斯·麦迪逊大学(VA)物理系和弗吉尼亚大学生物系的教职员工和本科生研究人员以及其他地区本科生机构合作伙伴共同购买的无掩模光刻工具。能够快速制作尺寸小于一个单元的结构和设备的原型是各种技术的关键能力，对本科生进行的化学、物理和工程专业的培训将有助于扩大未来纳米技术专家的渠道。微光刻是集成电路和器件生产中的关键工艺步骤，发展一支训练有素的纳米制造劳动力对美国的经济和国家安全利益至关重要。最后，使用该工具创建的结构将与HPU的成像实验室一起用于北卡罗来纳州皮埃蒙特三合一地区的当地学校和博物馆的科学推广，以激发对微观和纳米世界的下一代学习者的兴趣。该仪器将用于培训本科生如何快速制作用于化学传感、光学、神经科学研究、表面工程和生物医学设备的微结构和纳米结构的原型。这项主要研究仪器奖是为了获得一种直写无掩模光刻工具，供高点大学的教职员工和本科生研究人员与詹姆斯·麦迪逊大学和弗吉尼亚大学的教职员工和本科生研究人员合作使用。这种光刻工具将使微结构能够快速成型到0.6微米，以支持项目组的研究人员，并将通过以本科为主的纳米材料合作社(PUNC)向区域主要本科机构(PUI)的其他研究人员提供，作为帮助进一步发展他们的微制造研究和教育项目的资源。该项目将直接在从聚合物材料科学到神经科学的研究项目中实现微结构的快速原型制作。具体地说，这些项目包括用于微流控应用和生物膜预防的硅基微结构的快速成型、用于从导电聚合物合成中嫁接的表面的微接触打印(µ-CP)、硅基光电探测器的微制造、纳米颗粒增强的化学传感平台的设计和原型以及用于神经科学研究的微流体结构的快速原型。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award is for the acquisition of a maskless photolithography tool for use by faculty and undergraduate researchers in the Departments of Chemistry, Physics and Engineering at High Point University (HPU) (NC) in collaboration with faculty and undergraduate researchers from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Richmond (VA), Department of Physics at James Madison University (VA) and the Department of Biology at the University of Virginia along with other regional undergraduate institutional partners. The ability to rapidly prototype structures and devices with dimensions smaller than a cell is a key enabling capability for a variety of technologies, and the training of undergraduate chemistry, physics and engineering students will help expand the pipeline of future nanotechnologists. Microlithography is a critical processing step in the production of integrated circuits and devices, and developing a trained workforce in nanofabrication is vital to the economic and national security interests of the United States. Finally, structures created using this tool will be used in conjunction with the imaging laboratory at HPU for scientific outreach to local schools and museums in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina to spark an interest in the next generation of learners in the micro and nanoscopic world. This instrument will be used to train undergraduate students how to rapidly prototype micro- and nanostructures used in chemical sensing, optics, neuroscience studies, surface engineering and biomedical devices.This Major Research Instrumentation award is for the acquisition of a direct-write maskless photolithography tool for use by faculty and undergraduate researchers at High Point University in collaboration with faculty and undergraduate researchers at James Madison University and the and the University of Virginia. This lithography tool will enable the rapid prototyping of microstructures down to 0.6 µm in support of the researchers on the project team and will be made available to other investigators at regional primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) through the Primarily Undergraduate Nanomaterials Cooperative (PUNC) as a resource to help further develop their microfabrication research and educational projects. This project will directly enable the rapid prototyping of microstructures in research projects ranging from polymer materials science to neuroscience. Specifically, these projects include the rapid prototyping of silicone-based microstructures for microfluidic applications and biofilm prevention, microcontact printing (µ-CP) of surfaces for grafting-from conductive polymer synthesis, microfabrication of silicon-based photodetectors, design and prototyping of nanoparticle-enhanced chemical sensing platforms, and rapid prototyping of microfluidic structures for neuroscience studies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.